Over my 10-year profession, I’ve labored in two of the key compositing packages within the VFX business: After Results and Nuke.
After Results is the Swiss Military knife of post-production, with a number of features, together with keying, monitoring, compositing, and movement graphics. It’s one of many first instruments I realized due to its low barrier to entry, affordability, and ease of use.
Nuke, alternatively, is extra like a surgeon’s scalpel — a devoted and exact bundle constructed to do one factor: composite. It’s the business customary for good cause, and it’s the instrument I take advantage of at Vine FX on initiatives starting from Battle of the Worlds to The Vacationer.
As a result of Nuke is so ubiquitous, it’s essential to know the right way to use it when collaborating with post-production firms or simply as a result of it offers you such a robust set of instruments for compositing.
Nonetheless, when adopting new software program, you possibly can simply fall into the entice of pondering it’s only a case of studying a brand new structure.
Then you definitely open Nuke for the primary time…
Interface shock
Instantly, you’re greeted with an unfamiliar structure. Whereas After Results’ design just isn’t dissimilar to an NLE, Nuke begins virtually clean. There are related parts, comparable to a timeline, however importing information is extra sophisticated.
In Nuke, the ‘import media’ tab is known as ‘learn’, which differs tremendously from most software program. When you carry your footage into your timeline, you continue to can’t see something. You begin to ask your self questions like, “why can’t I see my footage?“ “What do all these results imply?” and “What is that this?”.
Sure, it’s a very totally different mind-set, but it surely’s the identical as creating any new ability. It could take a second to relearn naming conventions with a view to function Nuke, however as quickly as you do, utilizing it can develop into second nature.
Layers vs Nodes
AE makes use of layer-based compositing. The idea is just like Photoshop or, in retro phrases, reducing out photos and sticking them on prime of one another.
In AE, you’ve a base layer, and if you wish to add a component — like an explosion or a tree within the background — you stack it on prime in a brand new layer.
Nuke, alternatively, makes use of node-based compositing, the place as a substitute of a stack of layers, now we have a form of movement chart. Right here we join one factor (a node) to a different to provide our last picture. The node tree you create is named a “script” – a procedural illustration of the ultimate picture. Easy sufficient, proper?
The rationale for this distinction is to do with effectivity. After Results is nice for easier compositions (not essentially fundamental by way of ability degree, however with fewer elements or results).
However the bigger the comp, with probably a whole lot of parts, the trickier it turns into to navigate. And the extra environment friendly it’s good to be. For instance, in AE, when you wished to rotoscope or masks an object, you’d have to use the identical form to each layer or duplicate the masks you need to isolate by way of the Monitor Matte perform.
In Nuke, you create one node that incorporates the rotoscoped form after which join all different layers to it by way of the node tree. If it’s good to make any modifications, you alter it as soon as in Nuke, whereas in AE, you would wish to repair it in each layer you’ve used it in.
Nuke presents a extra visible setting, making compositing large photographs with many parts extra manageable. It offers you granular management, which suggests you possibly can produce extra advanced compositions extra simply.
The place to start
Let’s begin small. Nuke has a plethora of nodes out there, with extra features being added on a regular basis. It might take without end to undergo all of them individually, so as a substitute, I’m going to provide the prime 5 nodes to begin with and what all of them do.
This shows the render output of any related course of within the viewer panel. It’s the one node already current inside Nuke once you open it, and it has a small pipe with the #1 protruding.
It doesn’t have an effect on the picture in any method however lets you see what you’re doing. That is the explanation why you possibly can’t see something after studying your footage into the script.
First, choose your file after which press 1. This may activate the viewer. The great thing about this node is you can join a couple of viewer to it by urgent totally different numbers. Personally, my favorite mixture is:
- What I’m engaged on.
- My earlier render for comparability.
- The unique plate.
- The ultimate output earlier than rendering.
Simply by clicking 4 buttons, I can see 4 totally different views with out transferring the mouse. That is very time environment friendly.
This lets you mix a number of pictures or parts collectively, it’s the equal of layering a picture on prime of one other. When utilizing this node, you select how the pixel values from one picture are calculated with one other in order that the merged picture seems seamless – like how a 3D mannequin of a cup can be positioned on prime of a desk. When merging pictures, you add a B pipe for the background (on this occasion, the desk) and an A pipe for the foreground picture (the cup).
You create this node by urgent M on the Node Graph.
This is a 2D tracker that lets you extract information from the place, rotation, and scale of a picture. The overall course of for doing that is to attach the node to the picture you need to monitor, place anchors on options, calculate the monitoring information, after which select the operation you need to carry out — be it stabilise, match-move, or one thing else. Your pictures will then transfer in sync with each other.
Unsurprisingly, this one is for rotoscoping — primarily drawing spherical an object in a picture to chop it out of its background. This node options level choice, manipulation, and shape-creation instruments. To make use of, merely choose your instrument, draw your shapes, and use the management panel to fine-tune.
You possibly can create this node by urgent O within the Node Graph.
This is sort of a mixture of the Curves and Degree features used for color correction in After Results. At Vine FX, we use this for color matching and a basic grade if wanted. Nonetheless, it doesn’t have as a lot management as DaVinci or Lightroom. There are different color nodes to assist relying in your objective, however grade is the primary one most artists begin with.
This node might be created by urgent G on the Node Graph.
Foundry presents a whole lot of helpful info on nodes, what they’re, and the way they work.
If doubtful, all the time verify with the corporate that made it.
Coding
Many compositors go their entire careers with out studying to code. Nonetheless, a couple of strains of Python may give you larger management over Nuke. Even After Results has coded expressions (although not natively Python).
Python and expressions are extensively used scripting features built-in into Nuke. By studying some instructions and workflows, you possibly can management the consumer interface, shortly modify a number of nodes, and combine with exterior purposes.
Expression instructions are totally different in Nuke and AE. For instance, a “wiggle” expression in After Results is named “random” in Nuke.
Once more, what might look like a whole lot of relearning upfront will streamline your course of in the long term. You possibly can change Colorspace and body vary on a number of information with 2-3 strains of code. You possibly can completely survive while not having to know code when utilizing Nuke, however you’ll thrive by studying it.
The place to go subsequent
Utilizing Nuke for the primary time can look like a frightening prospect, however there are numerous helpful assets out there to assist. The best possible factor to do, although, is follow.
Foundry presents a non-commercial model of Nuke so you possibly can see what working with it’s really like earlier than utilizing it on business initiatives. It’s additionally free, which is a giant assist and goes some solution to decreasing the barrier of entry to Nuke.
Try the Nuke tutorials Foundry supplies and YouTube movies from endorsed creators like Hugo Guerra.
Lastly, pay money for any studying assets that would assist, like Nuke 101, Nodes inside nodes, or Gianluca Dentici’s Python course.
Each After Results and Nuke have their place and are incredible instruments in their very own proper. Movement graphics artists will love AE and its toolset. And for these wanting (or needing) to degree up their compositing abilities, Nuke is the most suitable choice on the market.
Finally, by taking the time to make the leap from After Results to Nuke for compositing, you possibly can be taught to work extra successfully on bigger, extra advanced initiatives.
About Alesja
As Lead Compositor at Vine FX, Alesja is devoted to her craft. Combining her twin passions for artwork and arithmetic, she has develop into a useful asset to the staff, notably in main sequences on The Witcher, Season 3.
Different key initiatives that Alesja has labored on embody Battle of the Worlds Season 1-3, The Serpent, Thor: Ragnarok and RTS award-winning The Lazarus Challenge.
